The role of staffing and classroom characteristics on preschool teachers' use of one-to-one intervention with children with autism.

The study was cross-sectional and observed only one five-minute interaction per staff member, so it cannot show that staffing changes caused changes in intervention. The sample was modest: 51 staff members in 12 classrooms, with limited observations per classroom, so results may not generalize. All observed staff members were female, so the findings may not represent mixed staff teams. The study did not collect child characteristics or IEP content, so children's assigned services or needs may explain some staffing and intervention differences. Inter-observer agreement was 83% and ranged from 30% to 100%; fidelity was checked in only 8 staff members. The role ranking came from six administrators, not direct skill testing. The analysis used nested data; classroom-level features and staff-level features were mixed, and the authors note statistical power may be inflated. It did not compare one-to-one time during dedicated session time versus free play.

The authors declared no conflict of interest. The publication types list NIH extramural research support.

Do not conclude that adding personal care aides reduces one-to-one teaching. The study was cross-sectional and observed only one five-minute interaction per staff member, so it cannot show cause; more aides was linked with less formal intervention, but children's IEPs were not measured.